Lamp mount forming machine



April 9, 1963 c. F. SlNDY ETAL LAMP MOUNT FORMING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 15, 1958 lnven tors: Clarence Sindg,

Frank \l/k'otda 1 Their A t g nes.

A ril 9, 1963 c. F. SINDY ETAL LAMP MOUNT FORMING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 15, 1958 lnven lrors: CLaT'ence 1 Sind "Frank V Kobda b @zaf/Q? ThQiT A t to neg.

3,084,721 LAMP IVIGUNT FORMING MACHINE Clarence F. Sindy, Willoughhy, and Frank V. Kolda, Independence, Ghio, assignors to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Filed Nov. 13, 15 58, Ser. No. 773,777 4 Claims. (Cl. Mil-71.6)

This invention relates to electric lamp assembly apparatus, and more particularly to apparatus for assembling lamp mounts comprising a filament and associated wire support or brace members.

It is an object of the invention to provide apparatus for assembling with an elongated filament a plurality of braces formed by twisting together a pair of wires with the filament caught therebetween at the midpoint of the wires, the braces subsequently being bent .to an approximate U shape. In the finished lamp, the legs of the U-shaped braces bear against the walls of a tubular glass bulb or envelope to support the filament in the axis of the envelope.

Briefly stated and in accordance with the invention, the apparatus comprises means for supporting a linearly extending filament between a pair of opposed and axially aligned spindles having therein pairs of axially extending apertures for supporting a pair of wires which extend transversely across the filament at opposite sides thereof so that upon rotation of the spindles in opposite directions, the wires are twisted together with the filament caught therebetween. Another feature of the invention is the provision of means comprising hollow needles or tubes for threading the support wires through the said spindles. A further feature is the provision of means for forming the twisted wire braces to a U shape.

Other features and advantages of the invention will appear from the following detailed description of a species thereof and from the drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of apparatus comprising the invention with a portion of the front of the supporting table or platform cut away;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a finished filament assembly held in a jig by means of which the filament is supported during the assembly of the braces therewith;

FIG. 3 is a plan view, on a larger scale and partly in section, showing the main operating elements of the apparatus;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary vertical elevation, in section, showing a supporting slide for the filament assembly including a clamp for one end of the jig shown in FIG. 2; and

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the brace bending or forming mechanism in association with a portion of the brace twisting mechanism.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the assembly to which the braces are to be attached consists of a filament 1 having a lead-in wire 2 attached to each end thereof and which terminates in a hook or loop 3. Although shown as a single line for convenience, the filament 1 is actually a very fine coil of tungsten wire. The filament lead Wire assembly is mounted on a removable jig 4 comprising a rigid length of Wire having retroverted end portions 5 formed to provide loop-s 6 at the ends of the jig and terminating in short upstanding or lateral end projections 7. The filament assembly is mounted by hooking the loops 3 over the projections 7 so that the filament is stretched taut along the jig.

3,984,721 Patented Apr. 9, 1963 The jig 4, carrying the filament assembly 1, 2, is then mounted in the apparatus by inserting the looped ends 6 of the jig into slots 8 in respective brackets 9 (FIGS. 1, 3 and 4) mounted on lateral end extensions 10 of a slide 11 which is slidably mounted in ways on a bedplate 12 on the table or platform 13. The jig is retained in the slide 11 when the looped ends 6 thereof are engaged by the rounded ends 14 of clamping levers 15 (-FIG. 4) which are pivoted on the brackets 9 and are tied together by a rod 16. The levers 15 are urged to closed position by springs 17 connected to rods 18 extending from the respective brackets 9, and are moved to open position to receive the brace by manipulating a handle 18 extending from the lever 15 at the front of the apparatus.

When so mounted, the filament assembly 1, 2 extends between a pair of opposed and axially aligned twisting spindles 19 and 21 at opposite sides of the jig 4 and with the common axial line between said spindles intersecting the axis of the filament 1. The said spindles have aligned pairs of apertures 21 (FIG. 5) extending longitudinally therethrough at opposite sides of the spindle axis to sup port a pair of wires 22 and 23 transversely across, and above and below, the filament 1. As explained more fully hereinafter, the wires 22 and 23 are twisted together by rotation of the spindles 19 and in opposite directions about their axes, and the wires are also bent to approximately U shape to form the braces 24- shown in FIG. 2.

Each of the spindles 19 and 20 has a concentric gear portion 25 (FIG. 3) and is mounted in a leg of a U-shaped bracket 26 secured to the table 13, and is held in place by a cover plate 27. For rotation of the spindles, there is provided a pair of vertical racks 28 meshing with the gears 25 at opposite sides of the common axial line of the spindles 19 and 20. The racks 28 are tied together at the top and bottom by respective cross heads or blocks 29 (FIG. 1) and are actuated by a low torque synchronous motor 30 through reduction gears (not shown), a shaft 31 and pinion 32 meshing with one of the racks 28.

The wires 22 and 23 are supplied from respective spools 33 and 34 (FIG. 1) and extend through a friction pad device 35 having apertures in which the respective wires are received and restrained by the back of the head portion 36 (FIG. 3) of a stud 37 under the pressure of a spring 38. The wires extend from the friction pad 35 to a threader device 39 comprising a bracket 40 on table 13 having slideways for a slide 41 which is provided with hollow threading needles or tubes 42 arranged one above the other in alignment with horizontal passages 43 through which the wires extend and in which they may be gripped by the head of a threaded stud 44- having a finger grippable knob 45 at its outer end.

At the start of the threading operation, the racks 28 are in a lowermost position with the upper cross head 29 resting on the upper surfaces of the bracket 26 and hold ing the spindles 19 and 20 in a rotative position such that the apertures 21 therein are located one above the other in a vertical plane to be in alignment with respective threading needles 42. Also, the slide 41 is then in a retracted position to the right against the friction pad 35 (FIG. 3), and with a very short length of the wires 22 and 23 protruding from the ends of the needles 42, and with the wires held firmly in the slide by the stud 44, 45.

The wires 22 and 23 are threaded through the spindles 19 and 21) by moving the slide 41 to the left in FIGS. 1 and 3 to carry the needles 42, with the wires therein,

through respective apertures 21 (FIG. in the spindles and respectively above and below the filament 1. With the needles protruding a small distance beyond the end of spindle 29, the ends of the Wires 22 and 23 are grasped and pulled out by the operator and then laid across the ends of the spindle 20, after which they are clamped to the spindle by a cap 46 fitted onto the end of the spindle by the operator. The gripping stud d4, 45 is then loosened to release its grip on the Wires 22 and 23, and the slide 41 is retracted to the right in FIG. 3 against the friction pad 35, the wires 22 and 23 are severed by the operator at a point close to the ends of the needles 42, after which the ends of the severed wires projecting from spindle 19 are laid across the end of the spindle and clamped thereto by a second cap 47. The operator then throws a switch to energize the motor 30 and cause the racks 28 to rise and thereby revolve the spindles 1% and 2% through their gear portions 25. At the upper limit of travel of the rack 28 the lower cross piece 29 engages the lower end of backing or support members 48 extending downward from the table 13, and the operator then turns off the motor, severs the Wires 22r and 23 at points adjacent the proximate ends of the spindles 19 and 2t and removes the caps 46', 4'7 and the severed ends of the wires.

The twisted Wires are then bent to approximately a U shape as shown in PEG. 2, by mechanism including anvil members 49 (FIG. 5) mounted on a bed block 50 attached to bracket 2s and straddling the brace 4 and filament 1, the brace t lying in a longitudinal slot 51 in the block 59. The bending mechanism also includes a removable die block 52 which is arranged to slide along the upper surface of the bed block 50. The die block 52 carries at its forward end a spring-loaded pressure pad 53 having a stem portion 54- extending into a cavity in the block 52 and biased forwardly by a spring 55 to a limiting position determined by engagement of a pin 56 on stem 54 with the forward end of a slot 57 in a cover plate 58. The pad 53 is slotted at 59 to accommodate the filament 1 and brace 4. When the block 52 is slid forward along the bed 5%, the pad 53 clamps the central portions of the twisted wires 22 and 23 against the faces 60 of the anvil 49, and the ends of the wires are engaged by divergent die faces 6 and bent around the anvil faces 6% against the divergent sides 62 thereof to form the wires to the U-shaped braces 24 shown in FIG. 2.

Upon completion of a brace 24, the die block 52 is temporarily lifted off the bed 50 and the filament assembly 1, 2 is repositioned longitudinally by grasping the slide 11 and pulling it toward the front of the table (downwardly of the drawing in FIG. 3) to overcome the frictional engagement of a ball detent 63 (FIG. 4) with a notch 64 in the underside of slide 11 and in which it is held by a spring 65. The slide 11 is moved forwardly until the detent 63 is engaged by a succeeding notch 64 (FIG. 3). Upon replacement of the die block 52 on the bed 59, interference with the already formed brace 24 is avoided by virtue of a cavity 66 (FIG. 5) in the bottom of the die block. Prior to formation of the next brace 24, the racks 28 are lowered by energizing the motor 30 to bring the upper cross piece 29 down upon the upper surfaces of bracket 26 and align the spindles 1 and 20 for reception of the wire feeding needles 42.

What we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In apparatus for forming a lamp filament assembly, the combination of support means for a linearly extending filament, a pair of opposed and axially aligned spindles located at opposite sides of said support means with the common axial line between said spindles transverse to and substantially i t rsecting the axis of the filamerit in said support means, said spindles having aligned pairs of apertures extending longitudinally therethrough at opposite sides of the spindle axis for supporting a pair of wires transversely across said filament at opposite sides thereof, and means for rotating said spindles in opposite directions about their axes to form a brace by twisting said pair of wires together with the filament caught therebetween, said filament support means including a slide member, and means mounting said slide member for rectilinear shifting in steps of equal length to bring successive portions of the filament between said spindles for attachment of braces thereto as aforesaid.

'2. In apparatus for forming a lamp filament assembly, the combination of support means for a linearly extending filament, a pair of opposed and axially aligned spinles located at opposite sides of said support means with the common axial line between said spindles transverse to and substantially intersecting the axis of the filament in said support means, said spindles having aligned pairs of apertures extending longitudinally therethrough at opposite sides of the spindle axis for supporting a pair of wires transversely across said filament at opposite sides thereof, and wire threading means comprising a pair of hollow needles arranged to carry said pair of wires, and means mounting said needles to be in alignment with the pairs of apertures in said spindles and to advance said needles with the wires therein toward said spindles and through the apertures therein and to retract said needles from said spindles, means for securing the said wires against retraction with said needles, and means for rotating said spindles in opposite directions about their axes to form a brace by twisting said pair of wires together with the filament caught therebetween.

3. In apparatus for forming a lamp filament assembly, the combination of support means for a linearly extending filament, a pair of opposed and axially aligned spindles located at opposite sides of said support means with the common axial line between said spindles transverse to and substantially intersecting the axis of the filament in said support means, said spindles having aligned pairs of apertures extending longitudinally therethrough at opposite sides of the spindle axis for supporting a pair of wires transversely across said filament at opposite sides thereof, and means for rotating said spindles in opposite directions about their axes to form a brace by twisting said pair of wires together with the filament caught therebetween, and forming means comprising an anvil member having face portions arranged to straddle the filament held in said support means and to extend adjacent to the common axial line between said spindles so that said brace extends across said face portions, die means, and means for supporting said die means in apposition to said anvil member and for movement toward said anvil member to bend the said brace around the edges of the said face portions of said anvil.

4. In apparatus for forming a lamp filament assembly, the combination of support means for a linearly extending filament, a pair of opposed and axially aligned spindles located at opposite sides of said support means with the common axial line between said spindles transverse to and substantially intersecting the axis of the filament in said support means, said spindles having aligned pairs of apertures extending longitudinally therethrough at opposite sides of the spindle axis for supporting a pair of wires transversely across said filament at opposite sides thereof, wire-threading means comprising a pair of hollow needles arranged to carry said pair of Wires, and means mounting said needles to be in alignment with the pairs of apertures in said spindles and to advance said needles with the wires therein toward said spindles and through the apertures therein and to retract said needls from said spindles, means for securing the said wires against retraction with said needles, means for rotating said spindles in opposite directions about their axes to form a brace by twisting said pair of wires together with the filaments caught therebetween, and forming means comprising an anvil member having face portions arranged to straddle the filament held in said support means and to extend adjacent to the common axial line between said spindles so that said brace extends across said face portions, die means, and means for supporting said die means in apposition to said anvil member and for movement toward said anvil member to bend the said brace around the edges of the said face portions of said anvil.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Guthrie Dec. 14, 1897 Buhse July 27, 1909 Gibbs Oct. 25, 1910 Van Veen June 11, 192 9 Brindle Nov. 3, 1931 Archer Mar. 4, 1947 Reiter et al. Feb. 10, 1959 

1. IN APPARATUS FOR FORMING A LAMP FILAMENT ASSEMBLY, THE COMBINATION OF SUPPORT MEANS FOR A LINEARLY EXTENDING FILAMENT, A PAIR OF OPPOSED AND AXIALLY ALIGNED SPINDLES LOCATED AT OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID SUPPORT MEANS WITH THE COMMON AXIAL LINE BETWEEN SAID SPINDLES TRANSVERSE TO AND SUBSTANTIALLY INTERSECTING THE AXIS OF THE FILAMENT IN SAID SUPPORT MEANS, SAID SPINDLES HAVING ALIGNED PAIRS OF APERTURES EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY THERETHROUGH AT OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE SPINDLE AXIS FOR SUPPORTING A PAIR OF WIRES TRANSVERSELY ACROSS SAID FILAMENT AT OPPOSITE SIDES THEREOF, AND MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID SPINDLES IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS ABOUT THEIR AXES TO FORM A BRACE BY 